Comments on: Merry Christmas

By: nofundy

nofundy — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 14:36:41 +0000

And I thought he only wrote of “The #1 Ladies Detective Agency”! Thanks for the excerpt.

Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on. – Churchill

By: Bob B

Bob B — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:11:51 +0000

Seasonal salutations.

This news report in Wednesday’s press really ought to prompt urgent wide debate on the implications:

“The upcoming chairman of the Russel Group of universities has warned the British government that home students at top UK universities are being displaced by a growing number of highly qualified students from Europe. . . Under EU laws, universities cannot discriminate between EU candidates.”
http://euobserver.com/?aid=20609&rk=1

[Spelling as in the original EU Observer news report – more usually, it’s the Russell Group of universities.]

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 06:50:36 +0000

I spent my Christmas also at the beach in Sydney, at Avalon which is about as far from Cronulla as you can get. Even so, every kind of Australian was there, dressed in every way from barely anything to full-length dress and hajib. No-one looked liked they had anything much on their minds except gettting wet.

By: Antti Nannimus

Antti Nannimus — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:36:13 +0000

Bah,

Off with their heads!

Have a nice day,

Antti

By: Tom T.

Tom T. — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 04:31:46 +0000

It was ever thus, y81.

Best wishes to all. Here’s hoping that the holidays find all of you contented and loved.

By: y81

y81 — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 02:47:31 +0000

It might also be a good time to remember that if absolute justice and righteousness ever did indeed take on human form, most of us would probably be able to put aside our political differences and crucify the human in question.

By: jet

jet — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 01:49:47 +0000

It is a good time of year to stop and contemplate life in the hundreds of hell-holes that still contain uncountable suffering throughout the world. For everyone here enjoying modern life, Merry Christmas, and for those in less fortunate places, my prayers (and endless rhetoric convincing all I know of the need of your plight).

[Feeling a bit emotional after making a new Burmese friend and hearing his tales of home.]

By: Tad Brennan

Tad Brennan — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 15:45:42 +0000

Bro. Bartleby—
Can you point out to me the part in KH’s post where he singled out Christian dogmatism and intolerance for particular censure?

I had read his note as directed equally towards all forms of fanaticism and intolerance, e.g., the fanatics who put out a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, or the butchers in Darfur. Those are agents of intolerance, though not of Christian fundamentalism.

Intolerance in all of its forms is surely a leading source of “real enemies with real swords”.

As is the habit, common to many powerful groups, of portraying themselves as beleaguered victims of persecution.

By: Bro. Bartleby

Bro. Bartleby — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 14:13:09 +0000

Blessing all! And if your greatest fear is the fundamentalist Christians, then you are indeed blessed. For some are born into the world with real enemies with real swords or the far greatest enemy of all, circumstances. All these make the 21 Century fundamentalist Christian seem puny indeed.
Bro. Bartleby

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 11:32:58 +0000

Well now it's boxing day and therefore time for the equally traditional reminder that although, as Kieran notes with due humility, it is entirely possible that we at Crooked Timber could be mistaken, we are as a matter of fact not wrong, so Merry Christmas and cobblers to all our political enemies.

By: leszek

leszek — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 05:40:44 +0000

…and remember the golden algorithm, tic-for-tac. amen.

By: farang

farang — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 02:56:42 +0000

Thank’s for demonstrating why the Right fears the Intellectuals so.

By: Tad Brennan

Tad Brennan — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 21:58:42 +0000

A quote about epistemic humility that often recurs to me:

“I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible that you may be mistaken!”

Originally uttered by someone not famous for toleration or humility, i.e. Cromwell. Still, something resonant about the phrase, esp. when addressed to oneself….

By: bob mcmanus

bob mcmanus — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 16:14:11 +0000

“For what else is there for us to hope for? What else, I ask you, what else?’”

A lottery win and a Maverick championship would do.

Merry Xmas.

By: Alexei McDonald

Alexei McDonald — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 14:06:39 +0000

And God bless us, every one.